URBAN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WITH ...

European Journal of Geography Volume 6, Number 1:83-97, March 2015

©Association of European Geographers

URBAN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WITH EMPHASIS ON THE EMPOWERMENT OF INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS IN URBAN AREAS. THE CASE OF YAZD, IRAN

Azam SAFARABADI Shiraz University, Department of Social Science, university Lecturer, Shiraz, Iran http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Zo2gKTcAAAAJ&hl [email protected]

Saeedeh MOAYEDFAR Haeri University, Ph. D of Geography and Urban Planning, Meybod, Iran [email protected]

Hamidreza VARESI University of Isfahan, Associate Professor of Geography and Urban Planning, Isfahan, Iran [email protected]

Abstract Informal settlement in Iran, like many countries of the world, is a growing phenomenon. Weakness of macro programs for low-income housing has provided the opportunity for the formation of informal settlements. These places, while saving low-income residents, leave negative effects on urban life and developments. The empowerment approach is among the approaches that instead of financial support reduces the negative effects of informal settlements emphasizing on the nature of the problem. This study with the aim of prioritizing the needs of the residents of Foroodgah district of Yazd develops and provides a good model for its organization and empowerment. The research method is descriptive – analytical and it is developmental and applied. Data were gathered through documentary and library studies as well as questionnaires and applying factor analysis, the needs of the community were prioritized and empowerment solutions were presented. Findings of the study revealed that informal settlements are a challenge for urban sustainable development in most countries of the world especially for less developed countries. The art of planning system is the recognition of these areas, minifying their ratio with defensive solutions, empowering and prioritizing demands, meeting their basic needs and performing empowering guidelines so that the problems are resolved and the urban sustainability be maintained. Keywords: sustainable development, informal settlements, empowering, Yazd, Iran

European Journal of Geography - ISSN 1792-1341 © All rights reserved

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Safarabadi A. , et al /European Journal of Geography 6 1 83–97 (2015)

1. INTRODUCTION Urban population growth has exacerbated the demand for housing and increased the existing problems. Housing market inefficiency in the supply of affordable and attainable housing has attracted low-income segments particularly rural migrants to the suburbs and informal settlements in the form of sub-standard housing have become their safe home. According to statistics, in 1996, about 25 percent of the world population did not have a house in the dignity of human life. UN-Habitat official statistics show that in 2003 nearly one billion of the world population lived in marginal areas. According to World Bank estimates, by 2025, 88% of the total world population growth will occur in large urban areas and 90% of urban growth will be absorbed in developing countries (Thorns, 2002: 2). According to UN studies, marginalized and urban shack settlement is the main challenge of the third millennium. Marginalization is no longer a pure urban demography issue, but a socio-economic phenomenon and should be considered as the main target of development programs. The reasons for the formation of informal settlement are varied and may vary from place to place (Akhter, 2004: 2). Informal settlement is one of the most prominent figures of urban poverty which are formed within or nearby cities in a self-driven manner, with no formal urban planning and building permits, with the accumulation of low-income and with low levels of quantity and quality of life and which are called by names such as marginalization, informal settlements, auto and unorganized settlements (Kamanroudi, 1998: 19). The main reasons people prefer it over the other urban areas are low values of property, rental prices of house and land prices (Veddeld, 2003:3). The report on challenges of the UN slum suggests that at least 40 percent of the world settlements are classified as slum. 31% of the total world population, 43 percent of the urban population of developing countries, 78.2% of the urban population of less-developed countries and about 6% of developed countries live in the suburbs (UN, 2003: 3). Today, hundreds of millions of people worldwide, especially in developing countries, live in illegal and confused settlements, in poor economic social and environmental conditions (Mohammadi et al. 2008: 85). Informal settlement in Iran, like many other countries, is a growing phenomenon which has made new problems for cities. This phenomenon first arose due to the urbanization growth and rural migration to urban areas. Then, with the increase in the migration of rural and urban areas, there was an increase in their development and new informal areas were formed particularly around the major cities (Hataminezhad, 2006: 128). Meanwhile, sustainable development and human development not only consider economic aspects but also environmental aspects and more importantly consider social, political and educational aspects and the interaction of these factors in different areas. Among the most important aspects of providing the minimum requirements for the implementation of sustainable development, one can point to poverty eradication, decrease in population growth, rational distribution of resources, decentralization, establishing free trade systems and etc. (Naghdi and Sadeghi, 2006: 215). In the approach to sustainable development, urban endogenous development strategy is taken into account whose main emphasis is on a balanced population distribution and density in cities, balanced development of urban elements and their association, development and organization of hierarchy of road networks and urban communications, providing employment and activity opportunities in all urban sectors (Pourahmad and Shamee, 2001: 19). Among the most important strategies in the context of sustainable development in informal settlements, we can


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point to providing empowerment plans to improve conditions for residents of informal settlements and to increase residents' satisfaction of settlements and assessment of residential satisfaction in the habitat can be considered as a criteria for assessing the success of these projects. 1.1 Review of literature Following the urban developments and the rapid and heterogeneous growth of urbanization in Iran, the phenomenon of informal settlements initially was formed in Tehran and then in other major cities. In 1970, following the request of Plan and Budget Organization, a project was started to study the situation of informal settlements in the country by the Institute of Social Studies and Research of Tehran University. This study reviews the status of informal settlements in Tehran and other major cities of the country such as Bandar Abbas, Hamadan, Kermanshah and Ahwaz. Below, examples of previous studies on informal settlements and empowerment strategies are presented: Aldrich and Sandhu (1995) in a book entitled "Housing the urban poor: policy and practice in developing countries" put an emphasis on the role of planners, architects and social sciences and economics scientists in solving problems of informal settlements and also point to citizen participation and negating planning. Bilersbero (1996) regards political, economic, social, cultural and psychological factors influential in migration and informal settlements. Young (2000) knows material deprivation as the most important challenge for suburb dwellers and believes that in addition to material deprivation, they are deprived of the programs, services and policies. Johnson and Rogaly (2007) in another attempt with the title of "Microfinance and poverty reduction" investigate the informal settlements and emphasizing active NGOs; the authors believe that organizations aiming to reduce poverty can increasingly provide financial services to the residents of informal areas. Ebrahimzadeh et al. (2004) in an article entitled "Marginalization, urban disorders and adjusting strategies" investigate urban anomalies stemmed from marginalization with an approach toward empowering poor settlements. Gharakhloo, Abdi and Zanganeh (2005) citing Lee and Boug state that indoor migrations are significantly affected by the social and economic development plantings and in some cases social and economic development plantings patterns intensify migration to urban areas and make suburb areas. Mohammadi and Rousta (2008) in another article entitled "Social-oriented development: a solution for organizing informal settlement" investigated the marginalization challenges in Kouhdasht. Results of their study show that lack of appropriate sewerage system, financial problems and low income are among the main challenges of marginalization in the studied area. Gharakhloo, et al. (2009) in their investigative attempt entitled "Analyzing the urban sustainability level of informal settlements: A case study of Sanandaj" surveyed and assessed sustainability of these settlements using three defined social, economic and environmental variables.Fanni and Sadeghi (2009) in another article entitled "Empowering suburb dwellers in renovation and reforming of urban old tissue" found that there are immense powers for organizing civil and private participation in the studied area and urban managers should pave the ground for citizens' participation.Ziari and Nazari in 2009, in an article entitled "Organizing and empowering informal settlement in Ahvaz", analytically investigated a district of Ahvaz and


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presented their reformative suggestions in economic, social, physical and management areas for empowering and organizing the district. 1.2 Research hypotheses In line with empowering Foroodgah district and creating various sustainability dimensions in it, it seems that attention to environmental, economic and physical requirements of this district can lead to its development. 1.3 Research methodology The research method is descriptive – analytical and the study is developmental and applied. Data were gathered through documentary and library studies. The studied area is Foroodgah district one of the suburbs of Yazd, and the population consists of all residents of this informal settlement. Based on the initial estimation of the population of this district and applying the Cochran formula, the sample size was determined and 130 families were randomly selected. The required data were gathered applying questionnaires and SPSS and Excel were used to analyze the obtained data. In arranging the questionnaire, it was tried to include various dimensions of sustainable development and empowering dimensions such as physical, social, economic and environmental be taken into account and devising appropriate questions, residents' opinions were collected and suitable solutions were presented. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed using Cronbach's α formula and it was 0.84. As recognizing demands and prioritizing them are among the approaches for reaching organization and empowerment, in this study, the requirements of Foroodgah district were investigated using Factor analysis and the priorities of the district were leveled and prioritized in different factors and sections. 1.4 Studied area Foroodgah district as an informal settlement is located in the West of Yazd city and side of the airport axes. Foroodgah district with 308 hectares, 7644 residents involves 1300 families.

Figure 1.The situation of informal settlements of Iran focusing on Yazd (Source: Authors) European Journal of Geography - ISSN 1792-1341 © All rights reserved

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2. THEORETICAL BASIS In general, proposed perspectives on urban informal settlements can be classified into three general standpoints: 2.1 Liberal standpoint Different perspectives of such standpoint can be found in the works of demographers, sociologists, economists, planners and urban planners attached to the liberal school. Liberal view, though focusing on some dimensions of informal settlement, does not provide an analysis of the root of the problem and mostly puts emphasis on social, physical and economic aspects (Khatam, 2002). Liberal thinkers underestimate conflicts arising from the unbalanced economic growth or the relation between metropolis and suburbs and in the chain of economic relations rely only on the characteristics of unbalanced growth pattern, their analysis of economic relations in developing countries is largely based on internal factors and avoid the interaction of intrinsic and extrinsic factors of economic system and international economic performance of developing countries to developed countries (Jafari, 2003). Liberal point of view considers marginalization as natural instability of capitalist development which is quite negligible in comparison to the achievements of capitalism (Piran, 1995). This approach attempts to minimize self and substandard housing anomalies in terms of spatial, physical, social, environmental and health aspects by providing specific techniques so that these areas can be integrated to the city and eventually to the urban system. Generally, this view knows the reasons of the development of these areas as the consequences of the natural global system and believes that we should accept informal settlement phenomenon and have a regulatory and reformist view toward it (Piran, 1994). 2.2 Non-liberal views In the decades of 60s and 70s, unlike liberal thinkers, other thinkers, such as theorists of dependency schools in Latin America as Gunder Frank, Dos Santos, Furtado, Manuel Castells and others, generally considered the lag of the developing countries as the result of economic domination of developed countries and in their opinion, dependent and exogenous development pattern and dependent industrialization process are followed by urbanization and parallel to the unbalanced growth, income inequality increases and structural imbalance is accelerated. In their view, the resultant dependent development performance is the gap between urban and rural, resulting in the emergence of urban marginalized groups (Shokouee, 1994). As Gunder Frank states on informal settlements, due to the unbalanced and unfair economic, social and political performance, the floating population in the cities, including the rural poor immigrants, have created conflicting structure, relationships and social functions in cities. These immigrants have not been absorbed and integrated in the city and live in areas without conventional residential structure (Barabadi, 2002).


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2.3 New community-oriented approaches Manuel Castells in the book entitled "The Urban Question" talks about marginal groups of developing cities: urbanization spreads with a fast rate and despite the fact that employment opportunities are not provided for newly arrived communities (immigrants) and social infrastructure facilities in cities were not commensurate with urban population growth and due to the lack of infrastructural, social and physical facilities, traditional villages and neighborhoods such as slums which had been made by new empty-handed immigrants, became informal. He, like most Latin American intellectuals, considers urban informal areas a result of economicsocial inequalities and uneven urbanization and rural-urban poverty transfer (Agha Bakhshi, et al. 2003: 34-48). 3. RESEARCH FINDINGS One of the main factors causing instability in urban affairs, particularly in developing countries, is a type of urbanity with severe problems called informal settlement that according to global observation is increasingly expanding. The concept of informal sector originates from the early 1970s and it has become a general topic afterwards and it is used for various objectives with different meanings (Sadrul & Etall, 2009). The slum is an area which obviously reflects poverty and the rate of fertility and mortality in infants and children and the illegal, criminal and juvenile delinquency, general abnormalities and mortality is so high that it represents a hellish status on the earth (Hiraskar, 1997). Slum dwellers are those who are living in cities but for various reasons have failed to be attracted to urban social and economic system and to use urban services. Though the main cause of the formation of slums should be known as the migration of people from rural to urban areas, all have not been formed in order to assess the effects of empowering projects on the satisfaction of immigrants living in informal settlements, rather, some of them are the people who have been the permanent residents of the city but due to the poor economy live in non-standard residential units and are known as suburb dwellers (Abedin Darkoosh, 2003). Informal settlement which is generally known by a number of characteristics such as seizure of land and informal building and housing, non-compliance with formal and conventional urban regulations of building and construction, acute shortage of infrastructural services and informal use of urban facilities and equipment, rapid physical and demographic growth, informal employment, structural and installations instability, low share of services, income instability and finally, the appropriate circumstances for the growth of social pathologies and the formation of deviate subcultures and creation of a safe haven for social criminals and offenders, during the last two decades has become the dominant figure in the margins, especially in metropolises (Shee', 1976). However, the authors consider the marginalization as the Achilles heel of urban sustainable development and based on the UN Millennium Development legislation at least 100 million slum dwellers should be provided with health and housing facilities and new opportunities for education by 2015, so that sustainable development goals be achieved (Naghi and Sadeghi, 2006).


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3.1 Investigating Stability of Foroodgah district of Yazd The central part of Yazd, around which the suburb areas of Yazd are located, includes an area of around 1612 square kilometers. Except for a few large and populous villages located in the outskirts of the city and all have high dependency to the city, most of the villages, locations and economic units are for the city and are located outside the service area of the city. These villages are newly built and their residence history is relatively new. During the past two decades, the rural integration has been a frequent phenomenon in Yazd, and the rural areas which have been connected to Yazd during 1986 to 1996 are: Azadshahr, Safaieh, Hassan Abad Moshir and Akramieh. Thus, the suburbanization phenomenon continues with great momentum which in fact is affected by the frequency of population and development needs of the city (Consulting Engineers, 2006). In general, in the urban area of Yazd, fifteen informal settlements are formed and six zones are also being formed. 6.6% of informal settlement areas of Yazd are villages, 6.7% are rural and urban areas, 46.6% are rural areas added to the city and 40 per cent are part of the city. 66.7% of the land area of informal settlements are on the outskirts of the city, and 33.3 percent of the lands are located within the city (Balanced development logistician Consulting Engineers, 2009). Among these accommodations, Foroodgah is one of the marginal settlements of city and is located on the western edge of the city of Yazd.

Figure 2. Informal settlement area Formed in Yazd (Source: Authors)

3.2 Studied variables and indictors Various variables and factors are involved in the development of Foroodgah. In this paper, using 34 indicators in various dimensions, Foroodgah neighborhood development has been studied and


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through statistical methods (factor analysis), these indicators are decreased to 9 factors and are presented in the form of significant factors and the percentage contribution of each factor is determined by Foroodgah neighborhood development. Evaluated criteria include: Recreation health, sports and religious facilities, cultural facilities, green spaces, primary school, secondary school, high school, kindergarten, vocational training, sewage system, asphalting roads, and paved streets, street address congestion, road surface, street cleaning, waste collection, community health, surface water, construction permit, the technical principles of construction of houses, drug dealing, drug abuse, theft, moral corruption, street harassment, security, household spending, unemployment, supply consent of the people, a sense of responsibility, transportation system and the mayor and the city manager performance. 3.3 Results and data analysis Using questionnaires and answers to the 130 questions of households residing in the neighborhood of Foroodgah, the following information has been extracted in the desired parameters: - With regard to the service facilities, 3.8 percent of people are satisfied with recreational facilities, 11.6 percent with educational facilities and 1.6 percent of the neighborhood with the green space. Also, 83.4% perceived a lack of cultural facilities, 94.7% of health facilities, 75% of the sports hall and indoor sports club and a 53.5% perceived the lack of religious facilities for the neighborhoods. - With regard to the number of training centers, 90.8% of people demanded for kindergarden, 65.6% for primary school, 85 percent for middle schools, 85.8% for high school and 85.2 perceived a shortage of vocational training centers. - The most important local environmental problems and health status are poor sanitation and garbage collection; in that 22.3 percent of people mentioned health problems and 20% problems of passages and neighborhood houses as the reasons for their agreement with improving the neighborhood status. 22 percent mentioned the neighborhood environmental pollution and 34.7% surface water disposal of neighborhood streets as the most important problems. - In economic terms, 30.4% of people mentioned the unemployment problem of the neighborhood, while the monthly cost of 80.1 per cent of households is less than 400 dollars and 67.2 percent of households have costs over their incomes. - With regard to social issues, 9.1 percent of informants stated the purchase of drugs, 10.7% drug addiction, 6.4% theft, 10.2% moral corruption and 10.1 percent pointed to street harassment; while, 39.4% were satisfied with the safety status of the neighborhood. - In terms of physical status, 95.3% of residential units of the neighborhood are not technically appropriate and only 22.5% of residents have built their houses with municipal license. 16.2% of the houses in the neighborhood have problems with the required facilities and with regard to building strength, 32% of the buildings are made of brick and beam, while 61.7% of the buildings are not robust. - With regard to the partnership between neighborhood residents, only 47.6% of the people are ready to cooperate with the agencies to improve neighborhood conditions and 28.3 per cent of people have no sense of responsibility towards the community. While, 11.8% of people are European Journal of Geography - ISSN 1792-1341 © All rights reserved

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satisfied with the performance of transportation organization, 25.4 percent of the municipality's performance and 47.6 per cent of people are satisfied with the performance of other administrative agencies. Table 1 presents the findings of the questionnaire.

2

3

Features Recreational facilities Educational facilities Green space facilities Cultural facilities Religious facilities Therapeutic facilities Sport facilities

Dissatisfact ion percent 96.2 88.4 98.4 83.4 53.5 94.7 75

Kinder garden

90.8

Primary school

65.6

Secondary school High school

85 85.8

vocational school

85.2

Health problems

22.3

Streets and houses

20

Environmental

1

Variables

Educational centers

Row

Service facilities

Table 1. Results obtained from analysis of questionnaire for residents in the neighborhood of Foroodgah

Environmental pollution The problem of surface water disposal

Row

Variables

4

Economic

5

Social problems

6

7

Physical

Participation

Features Unemployment Costs over income purchase of drugs drug addiction Theft moral corruption street harassment safety status of the neighborhood Maintaining technical principles house installation Sense of responsibility transportation organization performance municipality's performance the performance of other administrative agencies

Dissatisfact ion percent 30.4 67.2 9.1 10.7 6.4 10.2 10.1 60.6 95.3 16.2 28.3 88.2 74.6 52.4

22 34.7

3.4 Investigating variables' effectiveness in the neighborhood of Foroodgah Factor analysis refers to a set of statistical techniques whose common goal is providing a set of variables in terms of fewer assumed variables. This method studies the internal consistency of a large number of variables and ultimately categorizes them in general factors and explains them (Kalantari, 2003). In factor analysis, large quantities of KMO indicate that it is satisfactory and if the value is larger than 0.70, the correlation between data are suitable for factor analysis. In addition, Bartlett's test confirms the assumption that the correlation matrix of the test is unit; in that if the Bartlett's test is not significant (the significance level is more than 0.05), the correlation matrix might be unit and this means that the matrix is not suitable for further analysis (Tofigh, 1993). In this study, in the first phase, KMO and Bartlett tests were performed between indices and the results are presented in Table 2. Table 2. KMO and Bartlett tests for the factor analysis model KMO Bartlett's Test of Sphericity

Chi-Square Df P

0.674 1443.057 528 0

Since the results of KMO test is more than 0.50 and the significance level of 0.00 with a probability of more than 99 percent affirmed the correlation, this matrix is appropriate for further analyses.


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Subsequently, tests were performed between indicators to determine their contribution and the results are presented in Table 3. Table 3. The factors extracted from factor analysis techniques and their particular value in the Foroodgah

neighborhood of Yazd Factors

Element

Significance value

Percentage of variance

Cumulative percentage of variance

1

Environmental

6.031

18.277

18.277

2

Social

3.793

11.493

29.770

3

Service factor

2.892

8.762

38.532

4

Educational

2.071

6.276

44.808

5

Physical

1.736

5.260

50.067

6

Economic

1.545

4.682

54.749

7

Participatory

1.357

4.113

58.862

8

Management

1.217

3.688

62.550

9

Passage

1.117

3.386

65.936

10

Skill training

1.072

3.249

69.185

Using 34 primary indicators, influential factors in Foroodgah district of Yazd are reduced to 10 factors. The total of 10 factors can cover 69.185% of the variance, with the contribution of the first factor being 18.277 and the last factor, 3.249. According to the correlation of each of the loaded indicators, a title can be selected for each factor. Variables loaded in each of the factors are as follows: Table 4. Indicators loaded in the first, second, and the third factors First factor: Environmental Correlation Indicator value

Second factor: Social Indicator

Correlation value

Moral corruption

0.826

1

Green spaces

0.852

2

Garbage

0.796

Addiction

0.775

0.659

Drug dealing

0.761

4

Street Cleaning Health

5

Security

3

0.589

Theft

0.720

0.546

Street harassment

0.704

Third factor: Servical Correlation value Religious 0.815 facilities Recreational 0.750 facilities Therapeutic 0.694 facilities Kinder garden 0.670 Indicator

Table 5. Indicators loaded in the fourth, fifth, and the sixth factors Fourth factor: Educational Indicator Correlation value Secondary school

0.840

2

High school

0.812

3

Primary school

0.778

1

Fifth factor: physical Indicator Correlation value Technical principles in 0.732 housing Construction 0.723 permit


Sixth factor: economical Indicator Correlation value Monthly household 0.709 expenditure Unemployment

0.589

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Table 6. Indicators loaded in the seventh, eighth, and the ninth factors Seventh factor: participation Correlatio Indicator n value 1

Sense of Responsi bility

2

Satisfacti on

Eighth factor: management

Ninth factor: infrastructure

Tenth factor: training

Indicator

Correlation value

Indicator

Correlation value

Indicator

Correlati on value

0.751

the performance of other administrative agencies

0.843

Passages Asfalt

0.911

Technical and Vocational Education

0.890

0.591

municipality's performance

0.812

The problem of surface water disposal

0.889

transportation organization performance

0.793

It should be noted that since the other factors had a significance level of less than 1, they were not statistically significant and were excluded from the analysis. Therefore, for the development and empowerment of Foroodgah district, the environment factor is in the first priority, social factors has the second level, service factors in the third priority, the educational factors in the fourth priority, the physical factor in the fifth place and economic factor, participation factor, management factor, infrastructure and training factors are in the sixth, seventh, eighth , ninth and tenth places respectively. 3.4 Empowerment approaches to informal settlement in the neighborhood of Foroodgah Empowerment approach has been proposed in development issues since the time that socioeconomic changes which are known as societies' development did not bring suitable gains for poor and marginalized groups. In fact, the empowerment approach takes a critical view to development methodologies and is an effort to reform them. In this approach, the changing of the marginalized and poor groups depends on their civic and collective power to pursue their wants and fulfill their needs. It is the civil power which increases pressure to increase opportunities and at the same time improves the community through local partnerships and protecting and improving its home environment in order to promote itself (Balanced development logistician Consulting Engineers, 2009). The analysis of this approach considers poverty and staying in marginal areas as a structural phenomenon which is reproduced frequently and local actions only reduces for a temporal time. Among them, there are many factors and barriers involved that can be overcome in a long process with the active participation of interest groups. Thus, the residents' activities focused on empowering neighborhood have a key role and if it is possible to provide better distribution of resources based on the needs of residents, the sustainability of development in the neighborhood will be ensured. Considering the prioritization of the needs of the residents of Foroodgah, it seems that the following policies and strategies are effective for the empowerment of the community.


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4. CONCLUSIONS Marginalization is an undeniable fact in the majority of large cities and metropolises, although the quality and quantity differ in different societies. However, we should avoid inflexibility in dealing with this phenomenon, like other social phenomena and have serious attempt to remedy problems and have a scientific understanding. The solution for the marginalized residents in understanding the different aspects of their problems lies in using social participation of residents and applying social solutions. Achieving urban endogenous and sustainable development strategy is subject to the participation of many people in decision making and to identify needs and prioritizing the fulfillment of needs. Marginalization is a serious problem for the municipal managers and a problem that it cannot easily be ignored; therefore, the issue should be controlled and directed in the context of urban development projects, so that the influx of new population to the cities can be used for development and increasing national wealth. In this regard, new immigrants are employed in the process of urbanization and urban development and this surplus of population can be used for the comfort and convenience of the people. In addition, recognizing the problem, accepting it and trying to prevent and manage it in the form of social engineering tactics, empowerment, improving access to social services and realizing urban endogenous and sustainable development strategy is very important. One way to achieve sustainable urban development is giving especial attention to informal urban areas in order to prevent the instability of the urban system; thus, the formation of a false market in marginalized settlements should be prevented; environmental capacity in marginalized areas should be increased through the development of green spaces; land bank should be established to protect the land for various purposes; infrastructure facilities should be improved; formed axes in the neighborhoods should be strengthened, reconstruction and improvement of human settlements and the creation of new housing units in neighborhoods with good quality; equipping furniture and lighting and green spaces of neighborhood parks, creating cultural and recreational centers and mental health and social organization; establishing regulatory agencies to reduce violations and social pathologies; establishing the Office of Development and Empowerment of Foroodgah Community; establishing the Provincial Steering Committee with the partnership of government officials, and etc. Table 7. Proposed objectives, policies and strategies for the empowerment of Foroodgah district of Yazd

Organization and promotion of the environment and the physical structure of the neighborhood

Objectives

Proposed policies and strategies Strategies Policies Increasing permeability neighborhood tissue and fitting the traffic of pedestrian and drivers Enforcement of legislation staff and other relevant committees Optimization and conversion of social and recreational spaces

Locating the correct and proper distribution of recreational facilities Multifunctional use of proposed green spaces Reviewing the detailed design of operation Designing and regulating the street network Reducing and eliminating growth of environmental problems


Proposed plans and projects Plans Determining the status of arid and desolate lands and allocating them to services and residential applications Paying loans for the the renovation, restoration and development step by step Construction and widening of streets based on attached proposal Drainage and diversion of rainfall water and construction of surface water disposal system Improving the quality of domestic wastewater pipes

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Empowering management and government and public decisionmaking institutions

Providing the promotion of Neighborhood social empowerment and local economy and linking it to exploitation of existing capacities the city's economy


Coordination of urban management system Maintaining mutual communication between the public and city officials and regulating bottom-up mechanisms in the process of empowering and decisionmaking process in the neighborhood

Defining and explaining Career Employment Group in order to use the required facilities and insurance coverage Defining the sustainable employment fields of the required activities

Codifying short-term executive action plans City administrative decisions based on part of the program Policy-making and planning empowerment activities and organizing the marginalized zones based one the jurisdiction of Empowerment Staff

Planning, promotion and support of non-governmental organizations (NGO) and local communities (CB) Financial, moral and legal support from local powers of forming community groups Detailed training programs in different population groups Increasing the communication between residents and city managers Participatory approach in fulfilling identified needs of the neighborhood Proving technical facilities and support to applicants Forming technical and vocational groups Explaining specific strategies and programs in offering and attracting neighborhood's products in the city

Office of Public Communication for the empowerment staff Separation of State management agencies duties in the form of intersection programs To help increase the nongovernmental financial and administrative institutions and forming new non-governmental assembly Providing access to renewal loans for low-income areas and very poor neighborhood

Forming neighborhood Council and giving sanction to function in the neighborhood Establishing monthly meetings between the three organs of the municipality, City Council and local councils and the empowerment headquarters

Teaching and maintaining learning workshops of native crafts such Jajim weaving, carpet weaving. Financial and institutional strengthening of the Financial Women's Association Neighborhood Providing low-interest and longterm loans for organizing the community Expediting and facilitating selfemployment loans to residents

Cooperation with NGOs in the field of conflict resolution Establishing special regulations for construction in the neighborhood Documenting Land and Housing in the neighborhood

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